ONTARIO – As of Sunday, Dec. 2, the LCBO, The Beer Store and other authorized retailers can sell alcohol from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., every day of the week.
These hours fall in line with the proposed operating hours of private cannabis stores, which are set to open across the province on April 1, 2019.
“This is about improved choice, access and convenience for consumers. Enjoy responsibly!” read a tweet from Michael Tibollo, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Prior to the extension, alcohol could be purchased from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at LCBO locations in Cornwall, Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The Beer Store sold alcohol from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
According to a statement released on the Government of Ontario website, the province is acting to modernize alcohol sales based on market demand by expanding the sale of beer and wine to corner stores, grocery stores and big-box stores. Consumers and business owners are invited to express their opinions of the changes through a comprehensive review.
“So far, more than 50,000 cases of buck-a-beer products have been sold in Ontario,” said the statement.
The statement advocated that legislation to reverse a three cent per-litre beer tax hike will be introduced and basic tax rates for beer at their current levels will be locked.
